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Khabib Nurmagomedov is enjoying his retirement. In fact, the UFC Hall of Famer recently snapped a picture with all-time great midfielder Mesut Özil, who is well-known for his career exploits with Real Madrid C.F. and Arsenal F.C., with whom he won several domestic honors.
While a UEFA Champiosn League trophy always eluded him, he did manage to capture the Holy Grail of football/soccer in 2014, winning the FIFA World Cup with Germany. Nurmagomedov, a big football fan, wasted no time in sharing the picture he had taken with Özil on Instagram.
"Nice to meet you my Turkis brother. A true football legend and a very good person."
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The pair's encounter took place in Istanbul, Turkey. It should be noted that despite Nurmagomedov referring to Özil as Turkish, he is of German nationality, having been born in the German city of Gelsenkirchen. However, he is of ethnic Turkish descent, with his ancestors hailing from Devrek, Turkey.
Like the unbeaten Nurmagomedov, Özil is a devout Muslim and has expressed devotion to his faith on multiple occasions throughout his career and post-retirement. Nurmagomedov is known for supporting Real Madrid C.F. more than any other football club.
The ex-UFC lightweight champion's love for football is such that, at one point, he was himself the subject of rumors that claimed he had signed a contract with third-division Russian club F.C. Legion Makhachkala from Makhachkala, Dagestan. However, the rumor turned out to be exactly that, just a rumor.
Nurmagomedov has exhibited no interest in pursuing athletics besides fulfilling his current role as a coach.
Khabib Nurmagomedov previously crossed paths with Cristiano Ronaldo
Mesut Özil isn't the only Real Madrid C.F. legend that Khabib Nurmagomedov has had the pleasure of encountering. He previously met Cristiano Ronaldo, who is widely regarded as one of the greatest footballers in the history of the sport. The Portuguese star and Nurmagomedov have met on numerous occasions, in fact.
Check out Khabib Nurmagomedov and Cristiano Ronaldo engaging in a friendly face-off:
MMA and boxing have both become major interests of Ronaldo, who has also crossed paths with 'The Eagle's' arch-nemesis Conor McGregor. The two were spotted cageside for Anthony Joshua's demolition of Robert Helenius. The pair also had a much earlier encounter in McGregor's carer.
